Guernsey Lesser Black-backed Gull in Morocco

Within the past few days I have received news of a sighting by Alain Mathurin (via Roland-Jan Buijs) of one of our Lesser Black-backed Gulls at salt ponds at Sidi Abed, El Jadida, MOROCCO! The gull is White 6S7 (the 2nd LBBG ever to be colour ringed by us). Catherine and I caught it in our garden in Guernsey on 25 May 2008. It left the island for unknown wintering grounds that winter, but I saw it back in Guernsey from 1st April to 11th August in 2009. However...the last twice I saw it  the bird was limping badly and I thought its left leg was broken. It was not sighted over the winter of 2009/10. To my joy White 6S7 turned up again this spring on 10th April...and it looked in good shape with no sign of any leg injury. I saw the gull several times up to 26 April 2010. Alain saw 6S7 in Morocco on the early date of 24 July 2010 - so it either did not breed in the Channel Islands this year, or it must have failed and left early.

This is only the fifth LBBG from my cr scheme to be sighted so far in Africa!

LBBG White 6S7 Chouet 14 April 2010 - PKV